Navigation flight planning during training

On 2007-03-13 10:16:50 -0700, "Andy Lutz" said:

This sounds a bit overwhelming. I am only 9 hours into my training but is
this what I might expect to see in a VFR PPL checkride? I know I have lots
to learn and get comfortable with, including navigation and flight planning,
what does a DE want to see in this arena? I'll look at the PTS, but you
scared me.

A diversion should be relatively easy. Just get in the habit every time
you fly of thinking, "If I had to go somewhere else, where would it be,
how would I get there, and how long would it take?" Then, when you
actually do divert, the only thing left is to set up the radios. By the
time you are ready for the check ride it will be so ingrained that it
should be practically automatic.

I have known students who had to divert on their first solo! You would
think three times around the pattern would be easy enough, but airports
do close. :-) Wayne Perry, former CEO of AT&T Wireless and one of the
prime movers in the cell phone industry, told me that he had to do just
that on his first solo at Renton Airport more than 20 years ago. After
he did his first touch and go, a Beech twin managed to land gear up on
the runway (bet it was the flaps/gear thing, eh?). Wayne not only had
to divert to Boeing Field, he had to come back several hours later to
pick up his instructor! (Things were a little different in those days.)


What does a typical checkride look like?

Pretty friendly as a rule. Some examiners are more business-like than
others. He asks you the same stuff your instructor keeps asking you.
Then you go fly and demonstrate the same stuff you had to demonstrate
to your instructor. Then you go home, probably end with some sort of
simulated emergency, fill out a little paperwork, wait for the examiner
to leave and do your victory dance.


BTW, I hope to learn HOW to do manual flight planning and not count on
electronic planners, but in practice I expect to use many means to plan XCs
in addition to knowing HOW.

You bet. Use everything at your disposal. If the examiner says,
"Divert!" and he doesn't shut off the GPS, then by all means use the
GPS. Really, it is not difficult. If you are having trouble with it,
this is the place to ask questions. But wait until you are studying
diversions, of course.

--
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor